Hendrick van Rensselaer (October 23, 1667 – July 4, 1740) was director of the Eastern patent of the

Rensselaerswyck Rensselaerswyck was a Dutch colonial patroonship and later an English manor owned by the van Rensselaer family located in the present-day Capital District of New York in the United States. The estate was originally deeded by the Dutch West In ...

manor. The estate was composed of land in

Columbia County, New York Columbia County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 61,570. The county seat is Hudson, New York, Hudson. The name comes from th ...

, and land opposite

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, on the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

, named Greenbush (later

Rensselaer, New York Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the east side of the Hudson River, opposite Albany and on the western border of Rensselaer County. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 9,210. ...

).Spooner
pp. 189

Early life

Hendrick van Rensselaer was born in

Watervliet, New York Watervliet ( or ) is a City (New York), city in northeastern Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 10,375 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Watervliet is north of Albany, New York, Albany, the capital city, ...

, the fourth child of

Jeremias van Rensselaer Jeremias van Rensselaer (Amsterdam, 16 May 1632 – October 12, 1674) was the third son of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company who was instrumental in the establishment of New Netherland a ...

(1632–1674) and

Maria van Cortlandt van Rensselaer Maria van Cortlandt van Rensselaer, also known as Maria van Rensselaer (July 20, 1645 – January 29, 1689) was the Dutch administrator and treasurer of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, now Albany, New York. Early life Maria van Cortlandt was born ...

(1645-1689). His siblings included Kiliaen Van Rensselaer (1663–1719), second lord of

Manor, who married Maria Van Cortlandt, Johannes van Rensselaer, Anna van Rensselaer, (b. 1665), who married Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, their first cousin, and Maria van Rensselaer, who married

Pieter Schuyler Pieter Schuyler (17 September 1657 – 19 February 1724) was the first mayor of Albany, New York. A long-serving member of the executive council of the Province of New York, he acted as governor of the Province of New York on three occasions ...

(1657–1724). His paternal grandparents were Anna van Wely (1601-1670) and Kiliaen van Rensselaer, one of the founders and directors of the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...

who was instrumental in the establishment of

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

. His maternal grandparents were Olaff Stevensz van Cortlandt (c. 1615–1684) and Annetje Loockermans (1618-1684). His mother was the sister of

Stephanus Van Cortlandt Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor ...

(1643-1700) and

Jacobus Van Cortlandt Jacobus van Cortlandt (1658–1739) was a wealthy New Amsterdam-born American merchant, slave owner, and politician who served as the 30th and 33rd Mayor of New York City from 1710 to 1711 and again from 1719 to 1720. Early life Jacobus Van ...

(1658-1739), both of whom served as

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...

Estate and career

He received as his portion of his grandfather Kiliaen's estate, variously known as the "Eastern Manor" or "Greenbush." It covered about 62,000 acres of land in Columbia County, and encompassed lands south of Kinderhook, north of

Livingston Manor Livingston Manor was a tract of land in the Province of New York granted to Robert Livingston the Elder during the reign of George I of Great Britain. Located between the Hudson River and the Massachusetts border, the Livingston Manor was locate ...

and west to the Hudson River and was the "Lower Manor" to the "Upper Manor" of Rensselaerwyck. It was originally a part of Albany County, now Columbia County, New York. In addition, he received 1,500 acres out of the manor proper, opposite the city of Albany. Hendrick built a substantial brick house on the latter estate named

Fort Crailo The Crailo State Historic Site (also known as Fort Crailo and Yankee Doodle House) is a historic, fortified brick manor house in Rensselaer, New York which was built in 1707. The word ''Crailo'' is derived from ''kraaien bos'' (Dutch for "crow's w ...

. He was a merchant and ship owner who served the public as an alderman in the Albany assembly and on the Commission of Indian Affairs. In 1698 he bought from the

Schaghticoke tribe The Schaghticoke ( or ) are a Native American tribe of the Eastern Woodlands who historically consisted of Mahican, Potatuck, Weantinock, Tunxis, Podunk, and their descendants, peoples Indigenous to what is now New York, Connecticut, and Ma ...

a tract of six square miles on

Hoosac River The Hoosic River, also known as the Hoosac, the Hoosick (primarily in New York) and the Hoosuck (mostly archaic), is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed October 3, 2011 tr ...

, for which he procured a patent. This purchase interfered greatly with the city of Albany. With van Rensselaer declining to sell his patent to the council, the controversy became a state affair. In 1699 the dispute was amicably settled, and he passed his patent over to the city.

Personal life

On March 19, 1689, Hendrick married Catharina Van Brugh, the daughter of merchant Johannes Pieterse Van Brugh (1624–1697) and his wife, Catharine Roeloffe Jans (1629–1684). Her brother was

Pieter Van Brugh Pieter Van Brugh (1666 – July 1740) was the Mayor of Albany, New York from 1699 to 1700 and from 1721 to 1723. Early life and family Pieter Van Brugh was a member of the Dutch aristocracy of Albany. Pieter Van Brugh was the oldest son of J ...

(1666–1740), the

Mayor of Albany, New York From its formal chartering on 22 July 1686 until 1779, the mayors of Albany, New York, were appointed by the royal governor of New York (state), New York, per the provisions of the original city charter, issued by Governor Thomas Dongan. From 1 ...

from 1699 to 1700 and from 1721 to 1723. Hendrick and Catharina had the following children:Spooner
pp. 191 * Maria Van Rensselaer (1689–1756), who married Samuel Ten Broeck (1680–1756), son of

Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck Dirck Wesselse Ten Broeck (December 18, 1638 – November 24, 1717), also known as Dirck Wessels, was a prominent early settler of Albany, New York. He is known as "the progenitor of the Albany family of Ten Broecks." Early life Dirck Ten Broe ...

, in 1712. * Catherine Van Rensselaer (1691–1770), who married Johannes Ten Broeck (1683–1765), another son of

, in 1714. * Anna Van Rensselaer (1696–1756), who married Peter Douw (grandparents of

Peter Gansevoort Peter Gansevoort (July 17, 1749 – July 2, 1812) was a Colonel in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for leading the resistance to Barry St. Leger's Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. Gansevoort was also ...

and great-great-grandparents of

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

), in 1717. * Elizabeth Van Rensselaer (1700–1779), who married John Richard (d. 1763). * Helena Van Rensselaer (1702–1792), who married Jacob Wendell (1702–1745). * Jeremias Van Rensselaer (1705–1730) * Johannes "John" Van Rensselaer (1707/08–1783), who married Engeltje "Angelica" Livingston (1698–1746/7). After her death, he married Gertrude Van Cortlandt. * Hendrick van Rensselaer (1712–1763), who married Elizabeth van Brugh (1712–1753) in 1735. After her death, he married Alida Livingston (1716–1798), widow of Jacob Rutsen (1716–1753), in 1762. * Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1717–1781), who married Ariantje "Harriet" Schuyler (1720–1763) in 1742. After her death, he married Maria Low in 1769. Van Rensselaer died on July 4, 1740, in

Descendants

In describing the

Van Rensselaer family The Van Rensselaer family () is a family of Dutch descent that was prominent during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in the area now known as the state of New York. Members of this family played a critical role in the formation of the Unit ...

, historian author William L. Stone stated: "They consisted of eighteen males in 1776. During the war every adult, except two old men, and all minors, except four boys, bore arms in one or more battles during the Revolutionary struggle." George W. Schuyler later wrote in his ''Colonial New York'', "... of the eighteen males, sixteen belonged to Hendrick Van Rensselaer's branch, and of these, five were of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer's family." His son Johannes was a Colonel during the American Revolution, and was the primary heir to '' Crailo''. Through this son, he was the grandfather of

Catherine Van Rensselaer Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler (; also known as "Kitty", November 10, 1734 – March 7, 1803) was a Colonial and post-Colonial American socialite and the matriarch of the prominent colonial Schuyler family as wife of Philip Schuyler. Early li ...

(1734–1803), who married Gen.

Philip Schuyler Philip John Schuyler (; November 20, 1733 - November 18, 1804) was an American general in the American Revolutionary War, Revolutionary War and a United States Senate, United States Senator from New York (state), New York. He is usually known as ...

(1733–1804) in 1755,

Jeremiah van Rensselaer Jeremiah Van Rensselaer (August 27, 1738February 19, 1810), from the prominent Van Rensselaer family, was the lieutenant governor of New York and a member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New York in the 1st United ...

(1738–1810),

Robert Van Rensselaer Robert Van Rensselaer (December 16, 1740 – September 11, 1802) was Brigadier General during the American Revolutionary War, a member of the New York Provincial Congress from 1775 to 1777 and later a member of the New York State Assembly in the ...

(1740–1802),

Henry van Rensselaer Henry Bell Van Rensselaer (May 14, 1810 – March 23, 1864) was an American military officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, and a politician who served in the United States Congress as a Representative from the state of ...

(ca 1742–1813), James van Rensselaer (1747–1827), a captain and '' aide-de-camp'' of Maj. Gen. Montgomery who fought in the Canadian campaign of

Fort Chambly Fort Chambly is a historic fort in La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec. It is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. Fort Chambly was formerly known as Fort St. Louis. It was part of a series of five fortifica ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and was Captain in the

2nd New York Regiment The 2nd New York Regiment was authorized on May 25, 1775, and formed at Albany from June 28 to August 4 for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Goose Van Schaick. The enlistments of the first establishment ended on Dec ...

under Colonel

James Clinton Major general (United States), Major-General James Clinton (August 9, 1736 – September 22, 1812) was a Continental Army officer and politician who fought in the American Revolutionary War. During the war he, along with John Sullivan (ge ...

and later ''aide-de-camp'' of General

. Through his grandson,

, he was the great-grandfather of

Jacob R. Van Rensselaer Jacob Rutsen Van Rensselaer (September 27, 1767 – September 22, 1835) was an American lawyer and Federalist politician who served as Speaker of the New York State Assembly from 1812 to 1813, and Secretary of State of New York, from 1813 to ...

(1767–1835), a lawyer and federalist politician. His youngest son, Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1717–1781), was commissioned as a Colonel of the 4th Regiment, Albany County Militia,

battalion, on October 20, 1775, and was the representative for Rensselaerswyck on the Albany

Committee of Correspondence The committees of correspondence were a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independence during the American Revolution. The brainchild of S ...

when hostilities broke out in 1775. Kiliaen was wounded during the

Battles of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) were two battles between the American Continental Army and the British Army fought near Saratoga, New York, concluding the Saratoga campaign in the American Revolutionary War. The seco ...

and received the highest compliments about his courage from General

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. Through this son, he was the grandfather of Henry K. Van Rensselaer (1744–1816), a general in the Revolution, Philip Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1747–1798), a colonel in the Revolution, Nicholas van Rensselaer (1754–1848), a Colonel and ''aide-de-camp'' under General

,(Nicolas van Rensselaer was also related to

Edmond-Charles Genêt Edmond-Charles Genêt (January 8, 1763July 14, 1834), also known as Citizen Genêt, was the French envoy to the United States appointed by the Girondins during the French Revolution. His actions on arriving in the United States led to a major po ...

);

Killian K. Van Rensselaer Killian Killian Van Rensselaer (June 9, 1763 – June 18, 1845) was an American lawyer and United States Federalist Party, Federalist politician who served in the United States Congress as a United States House of Representatives, Represen ...

(1763–1845), US Representative from New York.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Rensselaer, Hendrick 1667 births 1740 deaths American people of Dutch descent Members of the New York General Assembly Hendrick 1667 Hendrick 1667 Van Brugh family

Early life

Estate and career

Personal life

Descendants

See also

References